Novak Djokovic had sufficient of an edge at first and the tip as he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Monday within the ATP Finals, a defeat that ended the Greek’s hopes of ending the 12 months at primary. Djokovic is ranked simply eighth partly as a result of he missed two majors over his vaccination standing, beginning the 12 months by being thrown out of Australia forward of the Australian Open. With the 2023 version beginning on January 16, Djokovic has mentioned his attorneys had been speaking to Australian officers. On Monday, he mentioned they’d not reached an settlement.

“Nothing official yet,” he mentioned. “We are waiting. They are communicating with the government of Australia. That’s all I can tell you for now.”

In Turin, Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling sixth title within the season-ending occasion, beforehand often called the Masters Cup, that brings collectively the season’s prime eight match gamers.

The Serbian broke Tsitsipas within the opening sport and was not threatened on his personal function he took the primary set.

“The first game was very important to break his serve,” Djokovic mentioned. “Starting with a break of serve is obviously a huge boost in confidence and a relief as well because we both knew it would be a tight match.”

Tsitsipas managed the one break level of the second set, within the fourth sport, after two Djokovic double faults, however the Serbian steadied and held serve.

In the tie break, the Serbian raced to a 5-1 lead. Tsitsipas delayed the inevitable by taking three factors earlier than Djokovic took his first match level.

“I held my serve really well throughout the match,” mentioned Djokovic. “I played a great tie-break, very solid all the way through.”

The Tsitsipas loss means the injured Carlos Alcaraz will finish 2022 on the prime of the rankings except Rafael Nadal, who misplaced his opening match on Sunday, can win the event.

Tsitsipas, who’s 24, can not accumulate sufficient factors to succeed in primary even when he rebounds to win the event.

“I deeply believe that I can reach that spot one day,” he mentioned. “I’m not really that much in a rush, to be honest. Of course, it would have been better if it happened this week.”

Djokovic is tied on 5 titles within the occasion with Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl. Only Roger Federer, on six, has gained extra.

“All the players said it. Every match is finals here, there’s no clear favorites to be honest,” mentioned Djokovic. “You got to be really sharp from the start.”

‘Peace peace peace’

The two-set victory put Djokovic atop the Red Group forward of the day’s different winner, No. 7 Andrey Rublev of Russia, who beat his compatriot Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 7-6 (9/7).

Rublev appeared on the right track to take the primary set as he opened up a 4-1 lead.

World quantity 5 Medvedev, who was inconsistent all day on his serve, mixing 24 aces with eight double faults, battled again, saving two set factors at 5-6 to win the set in a tiebreak.

Rublev rediscovered his rhythm within the second set as Medvedev continued to wrestle on his serve.

In the third set tie-break, Medvedev saved three match factors at 3-6 after which a fourth.

But he was powerless on the fifth match level as Rublev closed out the match, slumping on to his again after two and a half hours on court docket.

“Peace peace peace is all we need,” Rublev wrote on the tv digital camera on court docket on the finish of the match, echoing his name for peace in Ukraine when he gained in Dubai in February, simply after the Russian invasion.